Cops: Man broke into Arizona woman's home while she slept, made tortillas

By Gary Dinges gdinges@gatehousemedia.com

Friday

Mar 8, 2019 at 1:50 PMMar 8, 2019 at 1:51 PM

An Arizona man is facing criminal charges after he allegedly broke into a woman's apartment, cooked tortillas and then stole a can of soup on his way out, police say.

Alex Herron tells Phoenix TV station KSAZ she was in her bedroom when she smelled something burning. Herron went to the kitchen to investigate and found a stranger, identified as Jerry Christopher Drane, cooking tortillas.

"I said to the man that you can take the food, whatever food you're making, can you please leave," Herron said in an interview with KSAZ.

Drane left, but not before reportedly grabbing a can of clam chowder that he consumed on the apartment's balcony.

Drane, who Herron said appeared to be intoxicated, was later arrested by police. Drane told responding officers that he didn't remember the incident.

"Frankly, sir, I can still smell alcohol on you right now," a judge told Drane at a preliminary court hearing. "Someone who got really wildly intoxicated, went into somebody else's house and scared them half to death."

Drane has been charged with felony crimal trespassing, KSAZ said. While awaiting trial, he won't be allowed to consume alcohol and has been barred from going anywhere near Herron's apartment.